US Capital Gains Tax Calculator

Enter cost basis, sale price and holding period to see estimated tax liability on investment gains.

Summary: Estimate short-term and long-term capital gains tax on US stock and ETF sales. Includes federal rates and holding period.

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Calculator Inputs

USD ($)

Purchase Price help

Sale Price help

Quantity (Shares / Units) help

Units

Holding Period

Taxed as ordinary income (10% - 37% federal rate).

Filing Status

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Annual Taxable Income Excluding this gain

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Tax Drag & Gain Visualizer

NET GAIN RETAINED: +$3,900.00 (78.00%) FEDERAL TAX DRAG: $1,100.00 (22.00%)

78.0%

22.0%

Post-Tax Retained Profit

+$3,900.00

Capital you deposit in pocket

Federal Liability Drag

$1,100.00

Due to IRS (Form 8949 / Sched D)

Cost Basis $10,000.00

Gross Proceeds $15,000.00

Marginal Tier 22.0%

NIIT Surtax $0.00 (0%)

Effective Rate: 22.00% Gain: +$5,000.00 Take-Home: $3,900.00

Primary Results Matrix

Net Profit After Tax account_balance_wallet

+$3,900.00

+78.00% Net Retention

Actual net capital realized in portfolio

Total Tax Owed receipt_long

$1,100.00

22.00% Federal Drag

Statutory estimated liability for 2026

Gross Capital Gain trending_up

+$5,000.00

Pre-tax market appreciation

Effective Tax Rate percent

22.00%

Marginal Bracket: 22%

Blended federal tax obligation

Federal Capital Gains Tax Brackets (Tax Year 2026)

Direct comparison between ordinary short-term rates and discounted long-term preferential brackets for Single filers.

Taxable Income Range (Single)	Short-Term Rate (≤ 1 Yr)	Long-Term Rate (> 1 Yr)	Tax Alpha Advantage	Status on $5k Gain
$0 to $12,400	10.0%	0.0%	10% Advantage	$500 Saved
$12,401 to $50,400	12.0%	0.0% (to $49,450)	12% Advantage	$600 Saved
$50,401 to $105,700 (Current)	22.0%	15.0%	7.0% Advantage	$350 Extra Retained
$105,701 to $201,775	24.0%	15.0%	9.0% Advantage	$450 Saved
$201,776 to $256,225	32.0%	15.0%	17.0% Advantage	$850 Saved
$256,226 to $640,600	35.0%	20.0%	15.0% Advantage	$750 Saved
Over $640,600	37.0%	20.0% +3.8% NIIT	13.2% Advantage	$660 Saved

*Note: Brackets represent Federal statutory baselines for tax year 2026. State taxes (0% to 13.3%) apply separately based on tax residency. Read Detailed Methodology →

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Short-Term vs. Long-Term Capital Gains in the United States

In the United States tax system, how much tax you owe on investment gains is determined primarily by your holding period—the exact duration between the calendar day after you acquired an asset and the day you sold it.

Short-Term Capital Gains

Assets held for one year or less (≤ 365 calendar days). Any realized profits are classified as ordinary income and taxed under standard federal brackets ranging from 10% to 37%. Day trading, swing positions, and short-dated options contracts fall under this regime.

Long-Term Capital Gains

Assets held for more than one year (> 365 days) enjoy favorable statutory treatment under preferential brackets: 0%, 15%, or 20%. This provides substantial tax alpha—often saving 10% to 17% in pure federal drag.

warning Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT 3.8%) Threshold

Under Internal Revenue Code Section 1411, high earners with Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) exceeding $200,000 (Single) or $250,000 (Married Filing Jointly) are subject to an additional 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on net investment proceeds, increasing top long-term brackets to 23.8% and short-term brackets to 40.8%.

The Mathematics of Capital Gains Tax

CalcTrading executes exact client-side calculations using statutory US Treasury tax bracket stepping. The core formulation is derived as follows:

Formula 1: Gross Capital Gain

Gain = (P_sale − P_basis) × Q

Where P_sale is execution price, P_basis is purchase cost basis, and Q is share quantity.

Formula 2: Total Tax Liability

Tax_owed = Gain × T_marginal + NIIT

Where T_marginal is applicable short/long marginal rate and NIIT is 3.8% high-earner surtax.

Worked Numerical Example (Current Model Run)

Cost Basis: 100 shares purchased at $100.00 each = $10,000.00
Gross Proceeds: 100 shares sold at $150.00 each = $15,000.00
Gross Capital Gain: $15,000.00 proceeds − $10,000.00 basis = +$5,000.00
Marginal Tax Bracket: Taxable baseline of $75,000 for a Single filer maps to the 22.0% bracket.
Tax Liability: $5,000.00 × 22.0% = $1,100.00
Net After-Tax Retention: $5,000.00 − $1,100.00 = +$3,900.00 (78.0%)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Statutory Notice

Always verify final 1099-B tax forms with a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) prior to IRS filing.

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